


I Found Love Where It Wasn't Supposed To Be

by actualgrantaire



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, there's basically no conflict lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:42:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21740386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/actualgrantaire/pseuds/actualgrantaire
Summary: A fake dating au set in a universe where Nicky becomes the twins' guardian and tells Aaron he can't date Katelyn until Andrew is dating someone too. Featuring nothing else from 10 Things I Hate About You, some pining, and lots and lots of fluff.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 21
Kudos: 294
Collections: AFTG Exchange Winter 2019





	I Found Love Where It Wasn't Supposed To Be

**Author's Note:**

> A gift for [fuzzballsheltiepants](http://fuzzballsheltiepants.tumblr.com) as part of the aftg winter exchange! You wanted a high school au and a fake dating au so I hope I delivered on that!

This was ridiculous. Andrew was standing outside of Neil Josten's residence to pick him up for their first date. _A date_. Granted, Neil knew the date was fake; that they were only doing this so that his twin brother Aaron could date Katelyn, the girl of his dreams. However, Andrew couldn't help but feel a little nervous, which in turn made him feel angry at himself for being nervous and that made him want to call off the whole thing. He couldn't do that to Aaron, though. If he didn't pretend to date Neil, their cousin turned guardian, Nicky, would never let Aaron date Katelyn. Andrew suspected this was Nicky's way of forcing Andrew to stop spending all of his time alone. Nicky knew that Andrew would do anything for Aaron, and he was taking advantage of that.

Andrew was lucky to have found Neil the more he thought about it. No one else would ever agree to date him even if it was fake. Neil hadn't come cheap though. Neil had only agreed to fake date Andrew if Andrew agreed to help him practice Exy. Somehow, Neil had figured out that he'd played goalie in juvie and was determined to play with him. Andrew refused to try out for the high school team, so Neil had simply offered that they play one-on-one at the recreation center. 

Andrew's mind drifted to their game after he sent a text to Neil to let him know he was outside. Neil was fast, but Andrew was faster when it came to blocking his goals. In the end, Neil had scored three points. Andrew would never admit it to anyone, but Neil was kinda hot when he was on the court. He had made a mental note to go to one of his games one of these days. He'd claim it was to make their fake relationship seem more real. 

Neil came out of the house--in which he lived with his overly protective mother--and smiled at Andrew. 

"You look nice. I don't think I've ever seen you wear anything but black before now," Neil teased, looking pointedly at Andrew's navy blue button up shirt. 

"Shut up, it's Aaron's. All of my clothes were dirty. I don't think I've ever seen you in anything you couldn't play Exy in. You clean up well," Andrew replied, and subtly checked Neil out in his tight jeans. 

Neil noticed nothing, and looked over towards the Maserati that Andrew drove. "Where are you taking me?" He asked curiously. 

"You don't understand how a surprise works, do you?" Andrew deadpanned. 

"I don't understand why you're keeping it a secret," Neil complained, shaking his head. 

The truth was that Andrew was worried that Neil wouldn't like his idea, but Andrew simply shrugged and let a small smirk form in his face. "I like seeing you frustrated," he answered. Perhaps it bordered on flirting too much, but Andrew couldn't find it in himself to care all that much. 

Neil flushed slightly and pushed past Andrew on his way to the car. "Shut up," he muttered as he walked by, and Andrew couldn't help but smirk a little harder. He followed Neil to the car and unlocked it for them. He climbed into the driver's seat and started the car as Neil made himself comfortable. 

"How far away is it?" Neil asked, trying to get any clues he could from Andrew. 

"Like I'd tell you," Andrew replied as he backed out of the driveway and onto the road. "You'll see soon enough, though." 

Neil huffed, but said no more. He wasn't sure what to talk about because all he ever really wanted to talk about was Exy. However, he did find himself curious about Andrew. So he lead with that. 

"You said we're doing this so Aaron can date Katelyn, right? I didn't figure you cared that much about anything, even Aaron." 

"Well, you're wrong. I'm not some heartless psychopath like everyone thinks I am." 

"I didn't say that--" 

"You implied it." 

Neil cleared his throat and was silent for a moment. 

"It's really nice of you to do this for him. I know I'm not optimal fake dating material…" 

"You're actually perfect because you won't ever question how fake this is. Right?" 

Neil nodded, knowing that Andrew would never _actually_ want to date him. Not that it mattered because Neil didn’t want to date Andrew. He was too focused on Exy to let a relationship even develop. “Right,” he confirmed. “This is completely fake, and anything we do is just to fool people into thinking it’s real.” 

“Correct,” Andrew said, trying not to think of what anything we do could encapsulate. He wanted to avoid kissing if at all possible, not only because he wasn’t sure if Neil was even into kissing, but also because he was worried a kiss would make this feel too real. “What are you comfortable doing, though? Because we’re not doing anything that you aren’t comfortable with, even if that means we won’t sell our relationship as well.” 

“Oh, um, I…” Neil trailed off, a pink tinge covering his cheeks. “I hadn’t thought of that. Definitely no sex. I’m not sure why that would be necessary in a fake relationship, anyway. Um, I guess not a lot of PDA but a kiss here or there wouldn’t hurt?” 

Andrew stared resolutely at the road in front of him. _A kiss here or there_. Fuck, he was doomed. “Sex is definitely not necessary for our purposes. If people ask you if we’ve fucked, tell them to fuck off because it’s none of their business.” That’s what Andrew had been doing for years whenever he was asked about his sex life. It was a bit of a touchy subject for him, but he didn’t blow up at people like he used to. It was something, at least. “I’ll always ask before I kiss you, and I expect you to do the same,” he continued, wanting to make sure that Neil knew consent was important to him even when it came to kissing. 

“Of course,” Neil answered, giving Andrew a small smile. “I don’t want to be randomly kissed and I wouldn’t imagine you’d like that either.” He appreciated the fact that he’d have a chance to say no. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt about kissing just yet but he wanted to give it a shot at least once. “Should I call you my boyfriend when people ask? Or do you prefer another term?” 

Andrew shrugged. He wasn’t overly fond of _boyfriend_ , but _significant other_ sounded too official and _partner_ made them sound like cowboys. “Boyfriend is fine with me. What about you?” 

“Boyfriend is fine. God, if my mom finds out I have a boyfriend she’ll freak out…” 

“Is she a homophobic asshole?” 

“No, just overly protective. She’d freak out regardless of the gender of the person I’m dating because she doesn’t want me to date at all.” 

“Well, you can always tell her it’s fake. It’s not like she’d ever get the chance to tell Nicky.” 

“She’s already weary of you being my friend, I think it’d just be best if she doesn’t find out.” 

Andrew nodded, understanding that even mothers who weren’t scarily overprotective would be wearing if their child became his friend. “Well,” he began as he pulled into street parking next to a farmer’s market. “I don’t plan on telling her or kissing you goodnight like a normal boyfriend would, so you shouldn’t worry too much. By the way, we’re here.” 

Neil looked out the window with confusion written all over his face. “What is this?” He asked, only able to see the backs of tents. 

“It’s a farmer’s market. I thought we could get some fresh fruit,” Andrew replied, hoping that his nervousness wasn’t seeping into his voice. 

Neil beamed over at Andrew. “You remembered that I said I really liked fruit.” 

“You said it was your favorite food and that you couldn’t decide which was your favorite because it would be like picking a favorite child,” Andrew replied, remembering the conversation word for word. 

Neil blushed faintly. “Well, thank you. I can’t wait to get some fresh fruit. Do you like fruit?” 

“Eh. Some of it is alright, yeah. I’m here for the kettle corn they sell, though. That shit is fucking amazing.” And with that, Andrew climbed out of the car and waited for Neil to do the same. “I’d ask to hold your hand so we look like a couple, but I don’t think anyone is going to be here that we know, do you?” He asked, looking around at the crowd of people. 

“Better safe than sorry, though, right? And it would be good practice for when we are around people we know,” Neil answered, hoping that he wasn’t blushing. He had never held someone’s hand like this before and it actually kind of appealed to him. 

Andrew raised an eyebrow before he conceded and took Neil’s hand in his. “Practice. Right. Should we practice kissing too?” He asked, mostly teasing as the thought of kissing Neil still terrified him. 

This time Neil couldn’t help but flush faintly. “Maybe later. Let’s get some fruit first.” 

Andrew noted that Neil hadn’t flat out refused the offer. He wondered if Neil was more invested in this than he originally thought. Before he got too lost in his thoughts, though, he nodded in response to Neil and lead the way to the first vendor selling fresh strawberries. Neil practically radiated joy when they bought some and he tried one. 

“This is the best fucking strawberry I’ve ever had,” Neil said, almost a little too loudly considering this was supposed to be family friendly. 

Andrew couldn’t help but laugh a little. A genuine smile formed on his face as if Neil’s happiness was contagious. “Well you have a lot left, so I’m glad you like them so much,” he replied and handed Neil the bag of strawberries as he lead them to the next vendor. 

Neil proclaimed that each fruit was the “best fucking fruit he’d had.” Andrew couldn’t help but tease him a little when he noticed the trend. “Is this the best fucking hand holding you’ve ever had? Am I the best fucking fake boyfriend you’ve had?” 

Neil flushed deeply as he swallowed their latest purchase. “Shut up. It’s exciting, okay? Mom never buys shit like this. But, to answer your questions, yes. To both.” 

“You’re just saying that because I’m the only experience you have, aren’t you? My hand is quite sweaty and I’m definitely low on the bar of good fake boyfriends,” Andrew said, unable to accept the compliment. 

“You don’t give yourself enough credit. You hand isn’t that sweaty. And you didn’t take me on a generic date. You took me somewhere you knew I’d enjoy. That’s good fake boyfriend material.” 

“Shut up and eat your goddamn fruit.” 

Neil shrugged and stuffed a piece of fruit into his mouth, savoring the taste. He made what could almost be mistaken for a moan if you didn’t know he was simply eating a piece of fruit. The noise startled Andrew, and his eyes grew just a tiny bit. He wasn’t allowed to like that noise. He wasn’t allowed to think about what he could do to cause it. Best to tease him about it and leave it at that. 

“Wow, fruit really turns you on, huh?” Andrew said with a small smirk, trying to ignore the rest of his thoughts. 

“That was...that wasn’t...I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Neil exclaimed, blushing a bright red. He had heard himself and had hoped that Andrew wouldn’t comment on it. The fruit was just so fucking good. 

“You practically moaned while eating that last piece of fruit; you know exactly what I’m talking about.” 

“Fine. The only thing it turned on was my taste buds, though. I don’t have some kind of fruit kink.” 

“If you say so.” 

Neil huffed and dragged Andrew off to get the kettle corn. The vendor had loads of it, and it smelled delicious even though Neil wasn’t a huge fan of caramel. Andrew bought the biggest bag that he could and immediately shoved some into his mouth. He made a pleased sound that almost resembled Neil’s and offered some to Neil. Neil took a handful and tried it. 

“It’s actually not bad,” Neil said after he’d swallowed. 

“Of course it’s _not bad_. It’s fucking delicious.” Andrew closed up the bag before he could devour more, and took Neil’s hand with his free hand. He lead them back to the car after making sure Neil didn’t want anything else. They talked animatedly about the different vendors they had talked to on the way home and Neil heistated when they reached his house. 

“Would you actually mind if we practiced kissing before we face anyone with it on the table?” He asked sheepishly, looking away from Andrew as he did so. 

Andrew was silent for a moment, trying to come up with a response that sounded reasonable. “I wouldn’t mind…” he trailed off after calming his mind down from its initial panic. “Probably smart, actually. You haven’t kissed anyone before, have you?” 

Neil shook his head. “This will be my first. Not even sure if I’ll like it.” 

Andrew nodded in understanding. “Well, pull away as quickly as you want. I won’t be mad or anything if you decide you hate it.” 

Neil simply smiled and leaned across the center console. He was centimeters away from Andrew’s lips when he stopped and waited for Andrew to close the gap. Andrew did so a little hesitantly, but he kissed Neil as softly as he possibly could. Neil found that he actually quite enjoyed the sensation, especially since it was Andrew. Fuck. Did that mean he actually felt something more romantic for Andrew? He hoped not. That would make things complicated. 

Little did Neil know that Andrew felt the same. Although, he had already had an inkling that his feelings towards Neil might not be completely platonic. It did cause a bit of panic inside him, and he pulled away from the kiss first. Trying to mask the panic, he looked at Neil and asked “So, think you can manage that around other people?” 

Neil nodded, and reluctantly went back to his spot in the passenger side seat. “Yeah. I think so. Was I bad?” He couldn’t help but ask. 

“Not as bad as some of the other people I’ve kissed,” Andrew said truthfully. The girl he’d kissed in ninth grade had truly been terrible, partly because she was a girl, but mostly because she’d tried to use way too much tongue. 

Neil smiled, and nodded. “Well, I’m glad to hear it. I should...probably go now before my mom gets worried.” 

Andrew nodded in return. “Yeah, I’ll see you at school. Have a good night,” he replied, sounding a little stilted because he was still reeling a bit from the kiss. 

“You too,” Neil replied and exited the car. His mother asked about his day and as he recounted it, he realized how truly fucked he was. 

* * *

“Yes or no?” Andrew asked as Nicky walked by and not so subtly stared at them as they tried to do homework on Andrew’s couch. 

“Yes,” Neil answered, and leaned in close. He’d learned over the following days that it felt the best when Andrew started their kisses, so he waited patiently for Andrew to close the small gap. Andrew closed it in a soft kiss as he always did—something Andrew was quite proud of being able to do while his brain betrayed him with thoughts of what it would be like to kiss Neil a little harder—and Nicky cooed. 

“You really are dating, huh? That was not a fake kiss,” Nicky said with a smile. 

Both Andrew and Neil flushed as they pulled away from each other. Andrew cleared his throat and looked away. Neil looked extremely guilty. “Um. Yeah. Obviously.” Andrew muttered, avoiding Neil’s eyes for a moment. Nicky looked pleased and went off to the next room, leaving the two flustered. 

“I guess we’ve really fooled them,” Neil started softly, unsure of what else to say. 

“And possibly ourselves,” Andrew replied, barely above a whisper. 

Neil’s eyes widened as he realized what Andrew meant. “I...I guess so. Um. I do...I do like kissing you…” 

Andrew let out a slightly frustrated sigh. “It wasn’t supposed to end like this. You deserve better. This was never supposed to end up becoming real.” 

“It doesn’t...it doesn’t have to,” Neil reminded him with sadness in his voice. “We can stop,” 

“I don’t _want_ to stop. That’s the problem,” Andrew said, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair. “I want to...keep this going. But it isn’t fair to you because I’m not real boyfriend material.” 

“That’s bullshit. If you want this, and I want this, we should do this. For real. You are the best boyfriend material for me. You understand me in ways no else does.” 

Andrew looked up at Neil with a worried expression. “I don’t want to fuck this up.” 

“You won’t,” Neil assured, a determined look in his eyes. 

Andrew sighed and closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, he looked at Neil with a determined expression of his own, “Yes or no?” 

“Yes. To being your boyfriend. To kissing you harder. To possibly doing more should it get that far.” 

Andrew leaned in and kissed Neil with all of the passion he’d been holding back and Neil let out a noise that almost identical to the one he’d made at the farmer’s market. The only difference was that it was obviously a moan. He returned the kiss as best he could, and they stayed that way for as long as they could. When they parted they were both slightly out of breath. Neil was the first to say something. 

“That was the best fucking kiss I’ve ever had.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know in the comments if you'd be interested in seeing more of this world. I had a blast writing it, but wasn't quite sure of how elaborate to get. I'd love to write some companion pieces, though!


End file.
